Army to Invest $7.1bn in Clean Energy Through Private Sector

Business Green reports that the newly formed Energy Initiatives Office (EIO) Task Force is charged with finding private sector partners to reach ambitious clean energy goals . With a target already identified of using renewables for a quarter of its energy needs by 2025, the army is acutely aware that it needs to invest in large-scale power projects, and it needs the help of the private sector to do so. The move could have huge strategic, economic and ecological impact, as Business Green explains: The federal government is the nation's largest energy consumer, accounting for about 1.5 per cent of use. And the Department of Defense is the biggest driver behind that energy consumption, responsible for about 80 per cent. "The Army (uses) about 21 per cent of that 80 per cent, so we view ourselves as a target-rich environment in terms of trying to a better job with taxpayer do...